Hydrocarbon burner and gas generator



June 12, 1928. 7 1,672,997

E. o. BENJAMIN HYDROCARBON BURNER AND GAS GENERATOR Filed April 11, 1924 v '4 Shets-Sheet 1 I: II I '1: 26 k x 1 v I J 1 r 2 i 1 4 w/lzz l i 2.2: l 7 Min 1 i m j IN VENTOR 7 MATTORNEY June 12, 1928. 1,672,997

E. O. BENJAMIN HYDROCARBON BURNER AND GAS GENERKTOR Filed April 11. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M ATTORNEY June 12, 1928. 1,672,997

, E. o. BENJAMIN HYDROCARBON BURNER AND GAS GENERATOR Filed April 11; 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR A; A TTORNEY HYDROCARBON BURNER AND GAS GENERATOR Filed April 11, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR M ATTORNEY Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES EDWARD O. BENJAMIN, OF NEWARK, JERSEY.

HYDBOGA RBON BURNER AND GAS GENERATOR.

Application filed April 11, 1924. Serial No. 705,813.

My present invention is shown as embodied in a simple device adapted for use 1n the fire boxes of boilers or ordinary furnaces such as are used for heating houses, but the 5 device is essentially a gas producer and burner in which the actual burningof fuel oil or other liquid hydrocarbon is merely for producing initial heat which is effectively utilized to produce a water gas reactlon bei l tween fluid hydrocarbon and steam, formmg carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H) and in normal operation it is these gases which are burned under conditions insuring practically complete combustion. As part of the gas may be tapped oil or all of it may be burned in the device, it is obviously adaptable-for use in almost any place where generation either of heat or of fuel gas is desired.

The object of the invention is to produce a device suited to the above purpose, which may be made of almost any size or capacity which will stand up under extreme conditions or use or abuse, which" will operate efficiently for the production of a completely gasified mixture, which will be automatically self regulating Within very Wide limits and practically fool proof in the hands of unskilled users. The device includes means for generating steam, for superheating the steam, for utilizing the steam pressure to atomize and inject fluid hydrocarbon into a reaction chamber which is maintained at high temperature and 36 wherein the reaction between the hydr0car bon and the steam is effectively promoted and for burnin the gas to produce such steam and to maintain such temperature. 'The reaction chamber is a passage long enouglrand having sufiicient flow resistance to afford time for, complete development of the water gas reactiom'but self draining so as to avoid trapping or accumulation of liquids. v

In normal operation the gasified mixture flows from the reaction chamber through a constricted nozzle, under pressure suflicient to produce a-powerful injector jet. This jet discharges into a mixing tube having suitable air draft inlets supplying substantial primary air to the mixture but not sufiicient to support combustion. The partly aerated as from the mixing tube flows to a burner neath the steam generating boiler in heat- Bil the flame heats up the reaction chamber,.

steam generator, superheater, injector and other operative elements of the device until steam is generated in quantities and at pressures necessary to atomize the oil, whereupon the normal water gas reaction begins.

In normal operation the automatic regulation of the device is due partly to proportioning of the parts and partly to a novel means for regulating the water supplied inv accordance with the heat of the fiameof the burning gas. The primary feature of the regulation referred to results from the fact that with any given rate of oil supply too great a supply of steam will result in decomposing unnecessarily largeamounts of water, producing incombustible carbon dioxide instead of the desired carbon monoxide. lVhatever carbon dioxide is produced operates in two Ways. First, it represents a loss of a most important fuel constituent and, second, it tends to retard combustion. Moreover, excessive steam is itself a diluent tending to retard combustion. Consequently, generation of steam in excess of what is required for the rate of fuel supply operates immediately to decrease the heat available for generating the steam. On the other hand, the critical temperature and most efficient operation having been once passed, decrease of steam will operate to increase the percentage of combustible carbon monoxide and decrease the steam diluent and cause the steam to act as an oxygen carrier to intensify combustion, thereby increasing the heat of the flame.

In conjunctionwith this natural self regulation, an important feature of my invention is the employment of a thermo'regulator for the feed water which is in close proximity to and which is operated by and in accordance with the heat of the flame to supply additional water to the boiler when the flame is too hot and to cut off water when the flame becomes too cool.

The above and other features of my invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 1s a view in side elevation of my improved unit, parts of the flash pan being broken-away and in section for clearness;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal section through the thermostatic Water regulating valve, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view throu h the unit on the staggered line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan view on the staggered line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section on the staggered line 5-5 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3;

- ig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view through aportion of the retort or reaction chamber;

Fig. 7 is atop plan view of the unit. My improved heater is in the form of a compact unit, comprising a base consisting of a flash an 10 and a circular burner 13 either rigi 1y or integrally connected thereto. Above the burner I arrange a boiler 15 surrounded by a 1011 spiral retort chamber 31. and a tubular thermostatic feed water regulator are secured to the retort at opposite sides. The flash pan 10 is formed with a central draft opening 10', and it will be apparent that when the burner is in operation vthe boiler, retort, oil vaporizer, and water regulator will be exposed to the direct heat of the flame from the burner. The boiler is centrally disposed above the burner and flush pan and may be formed with an out-- wardly flared upper flange 15 upon which impinge flame and. hot gases therefrom. The functions of the flange include deflecting the hot draft and flame from the burner, and conducting heat thus absorbed to superheat the upper part of the boiler.

The annular flash pan '10 is mounted upon screw-adjustable legs 11 and it supports an annular burner .13 which has .laterally discharging burner orifices 14. The burner is substantially concentric withthe flash pan and affords support for the water boiler 15 which is in the nature of a pot shaped receptacle having feet 16 resting on blocks 16 which are preferably of lava or other refractory material. he boiler 15 may be externally ribbed as at 17 to promote heat transference, and consists of a lower water chamher l8 and an upper steam dome or drying chamber 19, a restricted opening 20 being provided in the dividing wall. 21 be tween them. Water is admitted into the bottom of the chamber 18 from a supply pipe 22 through an inlet plug 23. The method of A tubular oil lter and vaporizer 32- controlling the water' supply will be deof the Venturi and to which the hydrocarbonfuel is supplied through lateral inlet pipe 30.

As shown in Fig. 3, this injector is directly in the draft of flame or hot gases from the burner 13 and as shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 7, the deflecting flange 15 .is partly cut away above the injector to intensify the updraft on the latter.

The discharge end of the Venturi tube 28 enters the upper end of a long retort or reaction chamber 31 encircling the boiler 15 and consisting of a number of downwardly inclined coils of a progressively enlarging helical spiral. The steam jet discharging in the Venturitube creates a powerful suction at the inlet whereby the hydrocarbon fluid is sucked into the jet, atomized and projected into the retort 31, the steam thoroughly mixing with and highly heating the atomized oil at the entrance to the retort. In this retort or reaction chamber the temperature is high enough to cause the desired decomposition of the water (H O) to produce hydrogen (H and to oxidize the carbon (C) to carbon monoxide (CO); also methane (CH etc.

The cavity within the nozzle member 26 may contain steam filtering material and a screen 27 to catch foreign particles such as might tend to clog-the nozzle 27. A plug 26' in the coupling member permits the filtering material or the screen to be readily removed and replaced.

I prefer to filter, preheat and to some extent va orize the liquid hydrocarbon which is supp ied to the injector through pipe 30. Preferably, therefore, the inlet pipe 30 is supplied from the upper end of a vertical oil filter 82 which receives oil under pressure from a feed line 34. This oil filter, particularly the upper end thereof. is in position to be highly heated from the burner flame, and. its flow-section being large, the passage of the oil thercthrough takes long enough to permit the desired degrce of preheat and vaporization.

Any convenient filtering means might be used but I prefer the type shown herein, consisting of a tubular container 32 with an apertured pipe 35 located centrally thereof and closed at the lower end by screw plug 35. The space between. the walls of the container and the pipe contains some suitable filtering medium such as several thicknesses of woven Wire or asbestos 36 secured by wires 36. The oil is forced or sucked into the pipe 35 through this material. A drain plug 37 may be provided for draining the filter and replacing the filtering material.

From the lower end of the reaction chamber 31 the products of reaction flow as a comltl bustible gaseous mixture, through a tube 40,

into a nozzle 41, discharging into an air mix in'g chamber 42 which is preferably formed as a lateral extension of the flash pan, and

which communicates through two passages 43, which discharge upward Into the ring burner 13, at diametrically opposite sides till till

lld

seat.

thereof. Air inlet openings 44 are provided in the Wall of the mixing chamber-42 and manually adjustable, pivoted dampers 15 may be provided for regulating the passage of air through these openings. The powerful jet of gasified mixture escaping through the nozzle 41 acts as an injector to suck air through the openings ,at 44 into the mixing chamber 42, where the air becomes thoroughly mixed with the combustion gases before reaching the burner orifices. 14.

As seen most clearly in Fig. 4, the draft mixture of air and gas impinges upon the apical end of a deflector 46 which divides it and causes it to flow through the diverging passageways 43 to opposite sides of the burner 13. The deflector is provided with an apron 47 extending well below the nozzle 41 and leaving only a small opening through which the initial priming liquid can flow out and through which supplemental air may be drawn in by the injector action of jet during normal operation.

Forfurnace installations I prefer to en case the reaction tube with an irregular or lumpy coating of fire clay, magnesia or some similar refractory cement, as indicated at 48 in Fig. 6. By this means I am able to protect the metal surface of the reaction chain-- her from oxidation or burning bythe flame and to maintain a uniform high temperature so that the surface radiates considerable heat.

The means for thermostatically controlling the water supply to the boiler 15 shown in Fig. 2. This consists of a tubular valve casing 50 into which water is deliveredv a pipe 5i through a passage 5%. The outlet from the valve casing 50 is through. the pipe 22. Passage 52 is formed with a valve seat 53 in cooperative relationto a needle valve 5% which is carried bya plug .55 threaded into the end of the casing opposite the valve The needle valve normally lite the seat and prevents any flow of Water into the valve casing so, and to pipe Q9. which leads to the boiler, but the casing" 50 is near and fully exposed to the heat of the flames from the hash an ill, at starting, and atterwards from the urner outlets ll. heat causes valve is relatively protected from the heat by the casing and is much more edectively cooled by the Water supply. Hence there is always a suflicient differential expansion operating to maintain a water inlet at the valve seat whenever the casing is hot, the amount of the opening varying automatically with the heat of the flame and its temperature effeet on casing 50. The ranges and amounts of this governing can be predetermined by the sizes and location of the parts. The expansion differential can be increased by mak ing the casing and valve stem of materials, such as certain alloys having high coelticients of expansion and may be further increased by making the casing of a high coetiicient metal and. the valve stem of a low coeflicient metal. In order to permit adjustment of the valve 54- so that water-flow may he initiated taut; also superhcating of the steam is important. The particular arrangement shown is well adapted to combine these desirable features. The boiler is made Wltl1 relatively thick walls tending to slow heat no transfer and the water containing portion thereof is substantially hemisphericaland hence has the least possible heat absorb-- ing sur'lace per unit volume of the water.

The certainty of steam generation approiri- I mately proportional to the flame is insured, however, by having the generator pot coaxial with concentric annular walls of home from the orifices 14- ot' burner 33. one set said orifices being directed inwardly 12c and the other set outwardly as shown in, Fig. ll. Thus, the boiler affords as little chilling surface as possible to the flame.

The supeiheating of the steam the upper part of tlus same device it? insured by the flanges 17 and 15 against w 'ch the flame and hot products of combustion impings and both of which are above the level of the water. Under certain conditions the flange 1.7 may absorb and con duct to the pot enough heat so that the water will boil at the top edges rather than from the bottom, and in all cases the entire upper, superheated portion will be kept Very hot.

The steam pressure that can occur in the generator is slight as compared with the strength of the pot, because the latter is preferably good quality cast iron with thick, well arched walls that will withstand very high pressure and also because excessive The oil supply from pipe 34 to the filter- 32, is controlled by a needle valve (Fig. 5) mounted in a valve casing'61 integral with the lower end of the filter. The needle valve coacts with a valve seat 63 and is rotatably mounted in the casing 61, said casing and valve having inter-connection through relatively high pitched threads 64 operating to produce endwise movement of the valve when the latter is rotated. A float arm 66 rigidly connected to the stem of the needle valve 60 carries a float 67 normally seated in a depression 68 (Fig. 1) of the flash pan. When the oil level in the flash pan rises, the rising float-67 will swing the arm 66 rotating the needle valve 60 into closed position and shutting oil the oil supply to the filter 32.

The operation is as follows: The float 67 ordinarily rests on the bottom of the pocket 68 in the flash pan 10. Consequently the valve 60 is normally open and oil flows under pressure through filter 32. passage 29, Venturi tube 28, and retort 31; thence the oil drains by gravity through the retort pipe 40, nozzle 41 and under lip 47 into the flash pan 10. As the level ofthe oil rises the valve 60 will close, shutting off the oil. When the oil in the flash pan has been ignited and the parts sutliciently heated by the flame, the thermostatic water valve 54 will become operative in the manner above described, and water will start to flow into the hot boiler 15. By the time the boiler is hot enough to generate steam for the injector, and float 67 will have lowered enough to open valve 60 and oil will again flow through the filter, the filter will become hot enough to preheat and partially vaporize the oil passing there'through and the mixture passlng through the Venturi tube into the retort will consist of hot steam and vaporized hydrocarbon with finely atomized oil in suspension therein. The reaction occurring in the retort, the mixture of the products of reaction at high pressure with air, and the'delivery to the burner have been described above. As the temperature rises the-water gas reaction becomes more complete, the temperature of the flame in the burner increases, and more air is induced through the ports 44 until equilibrium is reached for a glven rate of fuel supply.

The oil is completely vaporized and the retort is operating at full eflicienc and the air inlets being properly adjusted: the mixture burns with a steady and intense blue flame.

Under conditions of equilibrium the rate of water feed to the steam generator is conabsorption inthe boiler and more heat reaching the casing 50.

The desired reactions in the coil may be brought about more perfectly and ,at lower temperatures'by employing a suitable catalytic agent for the retort tube and this may be applied as a coating to the interior of the tube. For instance, nickel may be employed to promote the production of methane in the breaking down process and chromium to promote the oxidization of carbon to carbon monoxide. Metals of this nickel chromium group tend to reduce the amount of free carbon and produce a cleaner burning flame less likely to cause sooty deposits. Either or both the nickel and chromium may be obtained in suitable subdivision for favorable catalytic reaction by mixing their oxides or carbonates in water with fire clay or plaster of Paris to form a mixture of suitable consistency. The interior of the coil may be then flushed with this mixture, drained and dried to produce a coating of the desired thickness, say. one-thirty-second to one-sixteenth of an inch. Then the tube may be heated to 'a red heat while the interior is filled with a reducing gas such as hydrogen. This will reduce the oxide or carbonate to the metal nickle or chromium in aproper physical condition for efi'ective catal ie action forthe purposes above describe Many of the structural details, described in the specification are not at-all essential to the success of the invention. For instance, the shape of the retort might be varied, other means might be utilized for controlling the flow of water and oil, for filtering the oil and for superheating the steam without departin from the spirit of the invention, which includes brought about.

any and all changes and alterations that fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims. a g

While the size of my device is not an essential feature and while even-the relative sizes of parts may be varied within considen able limits, it is an important feature that I have succeeded in embodying in a small unit burner elements whereby a true and relatively perfect water gas reaction may be It is an essential of such reaction not merely that the atomized oil is broken down to combustible gas and free carbon, but also there should be the characteristic water reaction with the precipitated carbon or soot to form combustible carbon monoxide (GO). Myconstruction of proportional parts is particularly adapted to make certain its proper functioning in this particular. For instance, even if the device be constructed on a scale such that the pct 15 is only five or six inches in diameter, the reaction space afforded bycoils 31 will be ten feet or more in length, on the scaleshown in the drawings and the conditions are such that the characteristic carbon oxygen reaction will occur somewhere between half and three-quarters of the distancefrom the atomizing inlet toward the outlet of the coil and thiswill be very evident to the eye by reason of the fact that the coil in this region will become red hot, the C plus 0 reacto the heat thereof for the relatively long time necessary to produce the above described resulth The opening below 47 between the mixing chamber and the flash pan may be provided with wire gauze for its well known purpose of preventing back firing of ignited oil of the flash pan into the mixing chamber.

Ifclaim: 1. A-heater unit comprising a burner, a

steam generator arranged above the burner,

a retort chamber arranged for drainage from the inlet toward the outlet, encircling. the

steam generator and heated by the burner, a

steam injector for injecting vaporized oil into the retort, means for delivering the products of the reaction of thesteam and oil from the retort to the burner.

2. A heater unit comprising a burner, a

steam generator arranged above the burner, a retort chamber encircling the steam generator and heated by the burner, a steam injector through which said steam generator discharges, for introducing steam and vaporized oil into the retort, means for dehverin the products of the reaction of the steam an oil from the retort to the burner and means for adding air to the products of reaction before they reach the burner orifice.

3. A heater unit comprising a burner, a steam generator arranged above the burner, a retort chamber encircling the steam generator and arranged for drainage from the inlet towards the outlet and heated by the burner, means including a steam injector for introducing steam and vaporized oil into the retort, means for delivering the products of the reaction of the steam and oil from the retort to the burner, means for adding air to the products of reaction before they reach the burner orificeand a flash pan below the burner wherein oil is adapted to be burned to prime the heater.

'4. A heater unit comprising a burner, a steam generator arranged above the burner,

a spiral retort chamber encircling the steam' generator and heated by the burner, means for introducing superheated steam and vaporized oil into the retort, means for delivering the products of the reaction of the steam and oil from the retort to the burner,

said means including an injector. nozzle,

and air intake nozzle. 7

5. A heater unit comprising aburner, a steam generator arranged above the burner, a spiral retort chamber encircling the steam generator and heated by the burner, means for introducing superheated steam and vaporized oil into the retort, meansfor deports associated with the liveringthe products of the reaction of the steam and oil from the retort to the burner, said means including an injector nozzle and air intake ports associated with the nozzle;

means for directing products of reaction from the injector nozzle through a plurality of passageways to the burner.

6: In a heater unit, a burner, a steam genorator and superheater above the burner, an oil vaporizer, an elongated'tortuous reaction chamber through which a commingled oil and steam mixture are caused to pass, temperature responsive means controlling the proportions and temperatures of the steam in the mixture inresponse to variations of flame temperature, and means for delivering the gaseous products ,of' reaction from the reaction chamber to the burner.

7. In a heater unit, a burner, a steam generator and superheater above the burner, anoil vaporizer, an elongated tortuous reaction chamber through which a commingled oil and steam mixture is caused to pass, temperature responsive means controlling the proportions and temperature of the steam in the mixture in response to variations of flame temperature, means for delivering the gaseous products of reaction tion chamber is adapted to drain.

8. In a heating unit, a burner, a steam generator, a superheater chamber, a restricted passage leading from said generator to said superheater chamber, an oil vaporizer, a retort chamber, means for injecting and vaporizing oil by a jet of superheated steam into the retortchamber, means for delivering the products of reaction from the retort chamber to the burner, said steam generator, vaporizer, and retort chamber being directly exposed to the heat of the flame from the burner. I

9. A heater as described in claim 8 and including thermostatic means for controlling the supply of feed water to the steam generator also exposed to the direct heat of the burner flame.

10. In a heating 'unit, a burner, means heated by the burner for generating water gas, a deflector at the discharge point of the water gas generating means for dividing the discharged water as into a plurailty of streams, and means For conducting one of said streams to the burner.

11. In a heating unit, a burner, means heated by the burner for generating water gas, a deflector at the discharge point of the water gas generating means for dividing the discharged water gas into a plurality of streams, and means for conducting one of said streams to the burner and means for mixing air with the water gas during its passage to the burner.

12. In a heating unit, a burner, a hot tortuous reaction chamber through which mixed steam and oil'care adapted to be passedto form a water gas fuel for the burner, separate means responsive to the heat of the burner for vaporizing the oil and for superheating the steam prior to their passage through the reaction chamber and means for utilizing the superheated steam to inject the vaporized oil into the reaction chamber.

13. A heater of the class described in claim 12 characterized in that a steam generator is provided, and thermostatic means operable under the influence of the heat of the burner controls the supply of feed water to the steam generator.

14. In a heater of the class described in claim 12, said oil vaporizing means having oil filtering devices therein.

15. A gas producer and heating unit, including a circular burner, a steam generator comprising a pot disposed above the burner in position to be surrounded by the draft of flame and hot products of combustion from the burner; an oil supply and an injector discharging into a reaction chamber wherein the steam is intimately mixed with atomized oil and hydrocarbon vapor, means for controlling the proportions and temperatures of the latter to form a. fuel gas for the burner, the walls of said pot presenting a minimum of heat absorbing surface relative to its capacity.

16. A gas producer and heating unit, including a circular burner, a steam generator and dryer comprising a round bottomed pot having an upper chamber with an exterior flange disposed above the burner in position to be surrounded by and to deflect the draft of flame and hot products of combustion from the burner, an oil supply and an injector discharging into a reaction chamber wherein superheated steam is intimately mixed with atomized oil and hydrocarbon vapor to form a fuel gas for the burner.

17. A gas producer and heating unit, comprising a circular burner, a steam generator comprising a pot and a reaction' chamber comprising a helical coil, both disposed above and coaxial with the center of the burner whereb they are surrounded by a, draft of flame t erefrom, means for supplying the steam and partially vaporized and atomized oil to the upper end of said coil to cause a reaction between the superheated steam and the oil to produce fuel gas for said burner.

18. A gas producer and heating unit, in-

cluding a burner, a steam generator. at

superheater chamber, a restricted passage leading from said generator to said superheater chamber, an oil supply line, a heated reaction chamber wherein superheated steam and atomized oil and oil vapor are intimately mixed and react upon each other to form a fuel gas for the burner, said burner being located directly beneath said steam generator and reaction chamber to cause the flames and hot products of combustion to constantly impinge thereon, said reaction chamber having a greater heat receiving surface than said generator.

19. A gas producer and heater unit, including a burner, a steam generator upon which the flames of the burner directly impinge, means for super-heating steam, means for intimately mixing atomized fuel oil with steam in the presence of heat to produce a fuel gas for the'burner, said steam generator comprising a round bottomed pot to present a minimum surface per unit volume to the heatin flames.

20. K flash pan and burner construction for heating units, comprising an annular flash pan having a central draft opening therein and an annular burner disposed above the flash pan, said flash pan and burner constituting an integral structure said flash pan including an offset portion constituting a mixing chamber for fuel gas, and an apron portion integral with the burner depending into the flashpan and forming a partition between saidflash-pan and the mixing chamber.

21. A flash pan and barrier construction for heating units, comprising an annular flash pan having a central draft opening therein and an annular burner disposed above the flash pan, said burner having a plurality of passageways therein for conducting fuel gas to the burner orifices, a fuel as injector arranged above the bottom of t 1e flash pan and a deflector depending into the flash pan and directing entering gas into a pluralit of such passages.

22. A ashpan and burner construction for heatingunits, comprising an annular flash pan having a central draft opening therein-and an annular burner disposed above the flash pan; said flash pan including an offset portion constituting a mixing chamber for fuel gas; a gas injector nozzle discharging into said chamber, said chamber havinv openings in one wall thereof throughwich air is adapted to be drawn by the action of the injector.

23. A flash pan and burner construction for heatin units, comprising an annular flash pan liaving a central draft opening therein and an. annular burner disposed above the flash pan, said flash pan and burner constituting an integral structure; said flash pan including an offset portion constituting a mixing chamber for fuel gas; a gas injector nozzle discharging into said chamber, said chamber having openings in one wall t ereof through which air is adapted to be rawn by the action of the injector and manually controlled dampers associated with said openin s.

24. A gas pro ucer and heating unit, including means for generating steam, a burner below the steam generator anda flash pan under the burner; a reaction chamber in the form of a downwardly draining coil of pipe surrounding the steam generator; means operable when the'burner is in operation for supplying partially vaporized oil and steam to the reaction chamber and for injecting the products of reaction with air to the burner, and means operable when the burner is not in operation for gravitationally feeding oil through the reaction chamber to the flash pan.

25. A gas producer and heating unit, including means for generating and drying steam, a burner below the steam generator and a flash pan under the burner; a downwardly draining reaction chamber surrounding the steam generator; means operable when the burner is in operation for supplying partially vaporized 011 andsuper-- heated steam to the reaction chamber and for supplying the products of reaction to the ing oil through the reaction chamber to the flash pan, and a float control in the flash pan controlling said last mentioned means.

26. In a gas producer and heating unit, a steam generator and drier, comprising a vessel having an integral partition wall dividing it into a lower boiling chamber and an upper steam drying chamber, said wall having an opening therein afi'ording restricted communication between the Challibers, a burner below said vessel for imparting heat to the water in the lower chamber, and heat absorbing means exposed to the heat of said burner for maintainingv said upper chamber at a temperature above boiling point.

27. In a gas producer and heating unit, a steam generator and drier, comprising a pot, an integral partition wall dividing the pot into a lower boiling chamber and an upper steam drying chamber, said wall having an opening therein affording restricted communication between the chambers, a collectingtube integral with the pot and extending into the drying chamber, said tube having apertures therein to permit'dried steam to escape into the tube from .the drying chamber.

28. In a gas producer and heating unit, a steam generator and drier, comprising a cast iron pot having an integral partition wall dividing the pot into a. lower boiling chamber and an upper steam drying chamber, said wall having an opening therein afl'ording restricted communication between the 'charn- ;bers and an outwardly projecting flange at the upper end of the described.

29. In a gas producer and heating unit, a steam generator and drier, comprising a round pot adapted for disposition above an pot, for the purpose annular burner, an integral partition wall prising a burner, a round bottomed pot constituting a steam generator and drier, an integral partition wall dividing the pot into a lower boiling chamber and an upper steam drying chamber, said wall having an open-. ing therein aflordin tube integral with-the pot and extending into the drying chamber, said tube having apertures therein to permit dried steam to escape into the tube from the drying chamher; a spiral reaction chamber coaxial with the pot and surrounding the same, said pot and reaction chamber being directly in the path of flames and hot products of combusrestricted communication between the c ambers, a superheater tion from the burner; means for intimately mixing oil with superheated steam within the reaction chamber to form a fuel gas for the burner.

r 31. In a gas producer and heating unit, a stem generator and superheater, including an annular burner, a round bottomed pot coaxial with the burner, a partition wall dividing the pot into a lower boiling chamber and an upper steam chamber, said wall having an opening therein afi'ording restricted communication between the chambers 32. In a gas producer and heating unit, a steam generator and superheater, incluidng an annular burner, a round bottomed pot coaxial with the burner; a superheated steam outlet tube integral with the pot and extending into the upper part thereof, said tube having apertures therein to permit steam to escape into the tube.

33. In a gas producer andheating unit, a steam generator and superheater, including an annular burner, a round bottomed pot coaxial with'the burner, an integral partition wall dividing the pot into a lower water chamber and an upper steam chamber, said wall having an opening therein aifording restricted communication between the chambers; a superheated steam outlet tube intemil with the pot and extending into the drying chamber, said tube having apertures therein to permit dried steam to escape into the tube from the drying chamber.

34. In a water gas roducer and burner apparatus, means'for urning the gaseous product andapplying the heat thereof to operate the producer, the producer apparatus thus heated including a steam generator and a tubular retort formed as a coil encircling the generator and arranged for drainage from an upper inlet toward a lower outlet, in combination with a steam injector for injecting vaporized oil through the inlet of \the retort and means for delivering products of the reaction of the steam and oil, from said retort to said burner; said retort including metal exposed to the steam and oil therein and said metal being of the group adapted to promote characteristic reactions of hydrocarbons with steam to produce water as. 4,

35. In a gas producer and burner apparatus, means for burning the gaseous product of the apparatus and applying the heat thereof to operate the producer, the producer apparatus thus heated including a steam generator having a lower boiling chamber and an upper steam drying chamber with a contracted opening affording restricted 'communication between them and a tubular re tort formed as a coil encircling the gen-v erator, spaced apart therefrom more widely at the bottom than at the top and arranged for drainage from an upper inlet toward a lower outlet, in combination with a steam injector for discharging steam from said generator and injecting a steam-oil mixture lengthwise into the upper end of said tubular retort, and means for delivering products of the reaction of the steam and oil from the retort to said gas burning means and for discharging hot products of the combustion upward between said steam generator and said retort coil.

36. In a gas producer and burner apparatus, means for burning the gaseous product of the apparatus and applying the heatthereof to operate the producer, the producer apparatus thus heated including a steam generator and a tubular retort-formedas a coil encircling the generator butspaced apart vtherefrom andarranged for drainage from an upper inlet toward a lower outlet, in combination with a steam injector for discharging steam from said generator and injecting a steam-oil mixture lengthwise into the upper end of said tubular retort, means for delivering products of the reaction of the steam and oil from the retort to said gas burning means to heat both said steam generator and said retort.

Signed at New York, in the county of New, York, and State of New York, this 5th day of April, A. D. 1924.

EDWARD o. BENJAMIN. 

